"Everything should fall into place": Pete Thamel believes Florida State will make a CFP appearance with help of QB DJ Uiagalelei
ESPN reporter Pete Thamel is confident Florida State will secure a spot in the College Football Playoff, largely due to the potential of quarterback DJ Uiagalelei. The former Clemson and Oregon State signal-caller is entering his fifth college season, compiling a career record with over 8,000 passing yards, 57 touchdowns and a completion percentage of 59.1%, per Sports Reference.
Thamel, in a conversation with Rece Davis on "College GameDay," emphasized Florida State's strong offensive and defensive lines as key factors in his prediction. He highlighted the experience on the offensive line, especially with left tackle Darius Washington.
“My pick of Florida State is because I feel like they have the best offensive and defensive lines in the ACC,” Thamel said. “Their offensive line, again, returns a ton of starters, because even the guys who are going to emerge as new kind of Day 1 starters have played a lot for them.
“Darius Washington at left tackle — these guys [have] been around forever.”
Thamel believes these solid fronts will help everything fall into place, and with Uiagalelei at the helm, the team is primed for success.
Although Uiagalelei hasn’t yet proven himself as a championship-level quarterback, Thamel expressed confidence in FSU coach Mike Norvell’s ability to bring out the best in him.
“I have a lot of faith in Mike Norvell‘s ability to maximize DJ,” Thamel said.
Reports from fall camp indicate that FSU’s offense has gained momentum, matching the defense's intensity. Uiagalelei had one of his best days of practice. Norvell said that the wide receivers also stood out, showing their best moments of the camp so far, according to Tallahassee Democrat.
The positive vibe around FSU seems to make Pete Thamel predict Florida State will emerge as ACC champions and earn a No. 4 seed in the College Football Playoff.
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DJ Uiagalelei had his best day of camp
With the game against Georgia Tech in Dublin just days away, Florida State's offense seems to be finding its rhythm. DJ Uiagalelei had his best day of camp on Thursday and showed off some sharp passes.
He made back-to-back impressive throws to wide receivers Ja'Khi Douglas and Malik Benson, perfectly timing the ball to meet their routes.
On a positive note, Uiagalelei has been named to the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award Preseason Watch List. The winner of this prestigious award will be honored at the Four Seasons Hotel in Baltimore on Dec. 6.
Also Read: "I don't think the level he's played at is good enough to win a championship": Josh Pate sounds off DJ Uiagalelei leading Seminoles in 2024